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- by LisaAh… floral arrangements. One of my favorite subjects! I just love to decorate with flowers. Fresh flowers make a wedding so romantic. The right blooms in the right amounts can also make your wedding stand out from all the others.When I plan a wedding, I could go on and on and on with flowers! The right flowers can really enhance a theme. Of course, decorating with flowers alone, can be, and is – a very expensive proposition. I am going to talk about how to use flowers to your advantage to set off the feeling and theme of your wedding – without breaking the bank.We cannot talk about flowers without talking about theme because everything must compliment the theme of your wedding. This would include flowers, linen, food, invitations, number of guests –everything. If everything does not compliment, your event becomes jumbled and non-cohesive. You also must look at your budget realistically. A black tie wedding with heavy- upgraded linens, 5 course meal, and elaborate flower arrangements for 200 people – is not going to work with a 30K budget – at least not in the DC/Baltimore area. Also, you must realize that you do not have to have a black tie wedding to have something extremely nice and elegant. Any themed wedding can be very nice and elegant – as long as it’s cohesive from beginning to end.

For a more casual fun affair, think about fun arrangements in vibrant colors. Some flowers choices that may work would be Sweat Peas, tulips, Baby’s Breath, lily of the valley and a variety of grasses. Think about Gerber Daisies to add some color, and Peonies, Hydrangea, Dahlias to add some girth. Put your blooms in fun containers (a basket for a country affair, a seashell for a beachy theme, a fresh pot for a springy theme) and feel free to play with different shaped containers, tables and the like. For instance, submerge cut fruits and other tropical fruits in glass vase, with some lighter blooms protruding out of the top. Opt for a floral headpiece rather than a formal veil. Keep things light, airy, fresh – but always coordinated throughout.

For a Fall affair, I like to use darker flowers, with vegetables, husks, wheat, and hay – to honor the harvest. For winter, try some Manzanita branches, or curly willow, hypericum berries, holly, wreathes with white and blue florals – or maybe red and orange for the holiday. For spring, wild flowers are great for a fresh wedding. Tulips are beautiful fully blown open and make a stunning presentation. Peonies are great. For summer, try something colorful, but more formal – like roses of all varieties. Gardenia is very nice – would work well as a floating bloom – but also offers lots of fragrance. If you are sensitive to smells, then this bloom is not for you.

For a more formal affair, try roses, ranunculus, all varieties of lilies (calla, etc), orchids, stephanotis and the like- in darker more subdued colors. Hydrangea also looks very nice as its size makes arrangements fuller. For a formal space that could use some height, think about tall or tall and short more formed arrangements (less airy – more roundy moundy) and incorporate elegant and elaborate candlelight. I have total respect for floral designers. I wish I had the creativity and ability to work with, arrange and store flowers properly. Make sure you find a floral designer who has the ability to work with lots of budgets. I say this lightly, most designers I know work on the same principle – the more you get, the more you pay. The less you get, the less you pay. You have to be realistic.

Flowers are expensive- but much of the expense comes in the design and handling. I can see very clearly the difference between professionals and amateurs in the way the flowers are designed, and the way they last through the day.The additional cost is worth it. With the right choices, you do not need a lot. Do you want my opinion? Flowers are a pain to work with-I know from experience. Leave it to the professionals.

I know that the Northern winds are blowing in, but that means proposals and new engagements will begin! In anticipation of summer weddings, I'm introducing my twist of the colorscape that Martha modernized:aqua and poppy. The center tablescape is my own. Remember, don't be afraid of color, you can always tone it down with a basic like black or white if it's too modern for you! This is a fresh and new version of the traditional summer garden wedding!

Sure, most people know her better as Laura Winslow of TV's "Family Matters." But if you needed any more proof that Kellie Williams is all grown up, read on. Last month, she married Hannibal Jackson at Ebenezer in Fort Washington, Maryland. The couple is just now release images of their special day, but what a story they have to share!

Cupcakes have really taken off as reception fare. Just last week Essence.com had a great article about actress Essence Atkins (of the TV show Half & Half) who tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony and had yummy red velvet cupcakes for her guests. Those cupcakes were made by Southern Girl Desserts in Los Angeles, which is owned by Catarah Hampshire. When we first posted about them last year, some brides-to-be and their families were iffy on having cupcakes in place of the traditional wedding cake. But now they're popping up everywhere - and guests seem to love them. Just one more option for the ultra-creative ladies out there who feel the need to shake things up.